Scanners, copiers, laser printers, thermal printers and other such imaging devices are common in a typical office network. Many of these imaging devices require long initialization periods before they are capable of producing images at a desired quality level. For example, a scanner or copier may have to warm up a fluorescent bulb used in the scan process before it is able to reliably perform a scan, or a laser printer may have to warm up a fuser element used to set the toner before it is able to form a permanent image. These initialization periods are often a nuisance to users who may want an image immediately. For example, a person coming in to work may find that their copier or printer is turned off when they try to prepare some last minute materials for a meeting. If the person is running late for the meeting, a wait of 5 minutes or more for the initialization of the imaging device may seem like an eternity.
One approach used to minimize the impact on the user is to leave an imaging device continuously powered up. While this avoids the routine initialization period, it can also lead to a reduced life of the imaging device as well as an unnecessary waste of power. Another approach is to place the imaging device in a stand-by or hibernation state during periods of extended inactivity. During stand-by, the imaging device remains at an intermediate temperature between that of a full “off” state to a full “on” state. The device is typically brought out of its stand-by state in response to data input from a user of the device, e.g., a print job sent to a printer or a user pressing the power button on an operating panel of the device. While a stand-by state reduces the power requirements compared to leaving the device fully powered up, there is still some wait for the user while the device transitions from its intermediate temperature to its full operating temperature.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below that will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternative methods and apparatus for improving response times of imaging devices.